FIRST UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY ENERGY PROJECT IN THE UK, SOLAR SOAS, LAUNCHES FUNDRAISING DRIVE!

Solar SOAS, based at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in Londonis the first University community energy project of its kind in the UK. The projectaims to get solar panels installed on the unused roofs of the university, starting withthe roofs of the SOAS Old Building. This student-run project is launching its firstever fundraising drive - an amazing opportunity for students, staff, alumni and friendsof the university and renewable energy to help get this worthwhile project off theground and join the green power revolution!

Funds will go towards purchasing and installing 114 solar panels, with the aim offinishing the install by late September. Generous funding for the project is alsocoming from the urban community energy fund (UCEF), SOAS itself, and the SOASStudents Union - but it’s up to the SOAS community to contribute the rest, whichwill make it a project we all have a stake in.

‘Solar SOAS is an excellent step towards our clean energy future, and something weshould all support in whatever way we can!’- Caroline Russell, London AssemblyGreen Party Group lead on energy and the environment

‘We are really excited that Solar SOAS is fundraising for solar! At 10:10 we’vefocused on projects for schools but there is also a huge amount of untapped potentialat universities, so it’s great to see this going ahead and being run by students. It’s aparticularly good opportunity to show that many people, especially the youngergeneration, are willing to do whatever they can to fight climate change, no matter thestate of the political climate.’- Amy Cameron, 10:10 Director of Operations

Community energy projects are a revolutionary way to get the local communityinvolved and engaged in renewable energy generation. Solar SOAS will provide cleanenergy for roughly 20 years to be used by SOAS, cutting both carbon emissions andfuel bills. The panels will generate additional funds through the Feed-in Tariff overthis 20 year period, which will be owned and controlled by the SOAS community, andit will be up to them to decide what future green initiatives these funds will support.

Why is Solar SOAS different? Solar SOAS is one of the first instances of acommunity energy initiative being set up and led by students - not only proving thatthe current and next generation want to help fight climate change, but they can.Solar SOAS aims to raise £20,000 in donations from the SOAS community. Inaddition to feeling good about being part of the climate solution (yes!), donors willalso have the option of choosing from a selection of amazing eco-friendly rewards onoffer. These range from practical tote bags and water bottles, to handwritten ‘ThankYou!’ postcards from the Solar SOAS team, cool t-shirts, a solar-powered light fromthe charity SolarAid, or an amazing solar panel-making workshop with theorganisation Demand Energy Equality in South London. Rewards vary according todonation amount.

Once there are solar panels on the first roof, SOAS will start the process of beingpowered by renewable energy, and will be the first to do so through communityenergy. Not only that, SOAS will be the first academic institution to take massivesteps forward in their divestment process after promising to divest in 2015.

*Donations will only be credited if enough money is raised for the project to go ahead.

Fun fact: The 114 solar panels to be installed on the SOAS Old Building will help cutcarbon emissions equivalent to 10,264 kg per year - data from Joju Solar.

‘Absolutely thrilled to see the first university community energy project in the UKhappening in our constituency. We hope this will lead the way for further similarprojects around the country!’- Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn & St. Pancras

‘It’s hard to balance living in London with caring about climate change - it can feellike there aren’t many options to help beyond recycling, the odd protest, and signingonline petitions. Solar SOAS is a rare opportunity to actually be part of a solutionlowering carbon emissions and increasing local awareness about energy systems andthe environment. It’s also been created and set up by students, all out of care andconcern for the future of the planet. It’s a pretty special thing to be involved with!’- Hannah Short, Solar SOAS Co-founder

About UniSolar & Solar SOASSolar SOAS is the brainchild of the SOAS Energy and Climate Justice Society, andcame into existence in 2014 as a way for students to take local action against climatechange. UniSolar Limited was set up as a Community Benefit Society (BenComm),with the aim of bringing this type of project to universities across the UK, with SolarSOAS as our pilot project. In March 2015 Solar SOAS were finalists in the Mayor ofLondon Low Carbon Entrepreneur Award, and we also won £500 through the SOASIgnite fund. In November 2015 we were awarded £20,000 from the urban communityenergy fund (UCEF) to get our project going. We are now just around the cornerfrom purchasing and getting solar panels installed - which is where you come in.